Pressure-still.



1.4. CURRAN.

PRESSURE STILL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25. 1917.

LjT/Mh l A Patented. F@b.5,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Il uw N I@ melig I I V l@ UNCC g lq 'WITN ESSES ATTORNEY L J. CURRAN.

PRESSURE STILL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25, 1917.

Patented Feb. 5,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEEI 2 CCCS INVENTOR WITN ESSES ATTO R N EY 1.1. CURRAN.

PRESSURE STILL.

APPLICATIQN FILED MAY 25. |917.

Patented Feb. 5, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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QQN INVENTOR Jfhwwj @Mmmm ATTORNEY JOHN' J'. CURRN, 0F AUGUSTA, KANSAS.

PRESSURE-STILL.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented lFelo. 5, 1913.

Application led May 25, 1917. Serial No. 170,905.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. CURRAN, a citizen of the United Statesresiding at Augusta, in the county of Butler and State of Kansas, haveinvented a new and useful Pressure-Still, of which the following is aspecification. i

This invention has reference to pressure stills for obtaining gasoleneor benzene from gas oil, fuel' oil, and the like.

The invention comprises a battery of stills arranged to discharge into aseparating tank and associated with the battery of stills is anotherstill .receiving residuum from the separating tank for redistillation,the result being that there is a conservation of material and of energyemployed 'in treating the material.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings vforming part of this speciication, with thefurther understanding that while the drawings show a practical form ofthe invention, the latter is not confined to any strict conformity withthe showing of the drawings, but maybe changed and modified, so long assuch changes and modifications come within the scope of the appendedclaims.

In the drawings Figurel is a front elevation of the battery of stills,or tanks.

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of thebattery of stills omitting thecondensing tank and stack.

Fig. 3 is a planview of the battery of stills, the stack and thecondensing tanks.

Fig. 4 is an end elevation with some parts broken away and in section.

` Fig. 5 is a longitudinal diametric ysection of one 0f the stills.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a structurel which ma)7 be a.cement or other suitable building with a series ofl furnaces 2 therein.Dn'the cement structure 1 above each furnace is a still 3 of elongatedcylindrical shape similar in conformation to an ordinary steam boiler sofar as the outer shell is concerned. At suitable points each still 3 isprovided with manholes 4 'which may follow the usual custom, but

which are only diagrammatically indicated in the drawings. Each still isalso provided with gages 5, whereby an operator l may ascertain at anytime the pressure conditions within the still.

At a suitable point adjacent t0 but spaced from the battery of stills isa drum 6 in which is located an upright series of hori zontal bailleplates 7 through which are numerous perforations 8. It is desirable thatthe drum 6 be considerably elevated and higher than the stills 3, and,therefore, it may be supported by a tower 9 of any suitableconstruction, the drawings indicating a steel truss tower. The furnaces2 all communicate with a stack 10 through suitable ues 11, l2,respectively, so as to dispose of the products of combustion pro ducedin the furnaces.

There is also a condensing tank 13 for receiving the gas driven olf fromthe gas oil, and this tank is mounted on a suitable foundation 14. Thetank 13 is of the usual construction employed in condensers and needs noparticular description. The condensed gasolene or benzene may becollected in any suitable manner.

The stills 3 are shown as arranged in a group of ten, although as beforestated such particular number is not obligatory. There is also anotherstill 3i which may be mounted upon the same foundation 1 and is pro-.vided with a furnace 2a similar to the fur.- naces 2.

All the stills 3 communicate with a supply pipe 15 and all are rovidedwith outet pipes 16 each containing a valve 17, the outlet pipes 16 inturn communicating with other or trunk pipes 18 leading into the drum 6at a point below the perforated baf- Hes 7. To the top of the drum 6there is connected another pipe 19 which at the other end leads into thecondenser tank 13 and contains a cut off valve 20. The drum 6 isarranged intermediately of the series of stills 3 and hence that still 3midway of the length of the series has its pipe 16 directly entering thedrum 6 instead of communieating therewith by way of the pipes 18. Thepipe 15 enters the respective stills 3 through other ipes 21 which maybe so arranged as to orce the oil into the still in the form of a spray.O y

-Each still has a steam pipe 22 entering 1t and provided with a coil orcoils 23 entending along the bottom of the still within the latter.

The additional still 3a is similar to the lill) stills 3 except that thepipe 15 does not communicate With it. Instead of such an arrangementthere is a pipe 24 leading from the bottom of the drum -6 into the topof the still 3a, and in this pipe there is interposed a cut off valve25. Leading from the still 3a is another pipe 26 With a valve 27 thereinand this pipe leads and opens into the tank 13, near which the pipe ispro- .v-ided With a valve 28 like the valve 20 in the pipe 19. The still3l1 has manholes L and a ga e 5 like the other stills.

Gas oi is driven into the stills 3 in any suitable manner through thepipes 15 and 21, entering these stills in the form of a spray. Heat isgenerated in the furnaces 2 of the stills 3 and may be supplemented bysuperheated steam entering the stills through the pipes 22 and 23. Theheating is continued until about 150 pounds pressure, or even more, isproduced in the'stills,

and then the valves 17 are opened and the gas is allowed to flow fromthe stills through the pipes 16 and 18 into the drum 6, Where the lightgases of benzene or gasolene pass through the pipe 19 and through theopen valve 2O into the condenser 13 Where the gases may be condensed andWithdrawn. The heavier distillates pass through the pipe 24 and the thenopen valve 25 into the tank 3a in the form of tars or heavy liquids, andin this tank the heavy matters are again cracked by the heat provided,the lighter distillates passing through the pipe 26 by Way of the valves27 and 28, which are then open, into the tank 13, thus adding to theaccumulation of gasolene or benzene Withdrawn therefrom.

The steam pipes in the stills may be used for steaming out the stills,or, as before stated may be employed for directing superheated steaminto the stills to help build up the pressure therein.

The final still 3a has the advantage of providing for a second crackingof the heavy residuum, thus saving the necessity of a separate tar still and the loss of heat and time in directing the heavy distillatesinto such a separate tar still. The usual practice of pumping out theresiduum to a tar still causes loss of all the heat and a considerableloss of time. By the process of.this invention it is feasible to recoverthe co-ke from the eleventh or last still and also save the light ends.

For instance, the stills permit obtaining about sixty-seven per cent. ofbenzene from each still and about twenty-eight vper cent. of coke in thelast still. The run back from all the stills in the line is to theeleventh l still as common to the rst ten stills.

What is claimed is:- l .1. The combination .with a battery of stills,each having means for heating it,

means for feeding the material to be treatfor receiving distillatestherefrom, of an additional still associated With the battery of stillsand fed from the drum, said additional still having means forheating it,and condensing means into Which the drum and the last-named stilldeliver.

2. The combination with a battery of stills, each having means forheating it, means for feeding the material to be treated to the stills,and a drum common to the stills of the battery for receiving distillatestherefrom and provided with perforated baliles to permit the risetherethrough of light distillates and the accumulation therein of heavydistillates, of an additional still associated with the battery ofstills and having means for heating it, said additional.

still being in communication with the portion of the drum below thebaiiies to receive heavy distillates collected in the drum.

3. Means for the production of light hydrocarbon liquid from 'gas oils,comprising a battery of stills and furnaces, and an additional still andfurnace therefor associated with the battery of stills and furnaces, afeed pipe connected in common to all the stills of the battery ofstills, a druim common to all the -stills of the battery of stills andconnecting with each through a 'valved discharge pipe individual to thestil1,..said drum having means Within it for separating light and heavydistillates, condensing means for light hydrocarbon gases communicatingwith the drum, a valved pipe connecting the portion of the drumreceiving the heavy distillates With the separate still, condensingmeans for the separate still and a valved pipe connecting the separatestill and condensing still v means therefor, the drum being of a heightWith respectyto the separate still to permit gravitating of the heavydistillates from the drum to the still.

4. Means for the production of lighthydrocarbon liquid from gas oils,comprising a battery of stills and furnaces, and an additional still andfurnace therefor associated with the battery of stills and furnaces, afeed pipe connected in common to all the stills of the battery ofstills, a drum common to all the stills of the battery of stills andconnecting with each still through a valved discharge pipe individualtothe still, said drum having means Within it for separating light andheavy distillates, condensing means for light hydrocarbon gasescommunicating with the drum, a valved pipe connecting the portion of thedrum receiving the heavy distillates with the separate still, condensingmeans for the separate still and a valved pipe connecting the separatestill and 'condensing means therefor, the as my own, ll have heretoaffixed my signadrum being of a height with respect to the ture in thepresence of tWo Witnesses. separate still to permit gravitating of theheavy distillates from the drum to thestill, JOHN J' CURRAN and all ofthe stills being provided with Witnesses: pipes for. directing steamthereinto. G. A. CLEMENTS,

In testimony, that I clalm the foregoing R. D. LAVENY.

